Drive clip



Dec. 22, 1959 W. E. WHITE 2,98,52

DRIVE CLIP Filed sept. 1o. 1956 1N VENTOR l W//iam Eo Wfl/'Ie ATTORNEY DRIVE CLIP William E. White, Bethlehem, Pa., assignor to Bethlehem Steel Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 10, 1956, Serial No. 608,802

Claims. (Cl. 189-35) This invention relates in general to building construction, and more particularly to anchor clips for securing metal sheets to rolled steel joists and the like.

A rapid and economical modern technique of making concrete floor slabs for floors and roofs is to pour the concrete iill directly upon corrugated metal sheets which are anchored to supporting joists. The fastening means are required to be quickly attachable, to be adaptable to sheets and supporting members of various sizes and shapes, and to seat below or flush with the level of the till after pouring in order to provide a smooth top surface. It is highly desirable that each fastener be a single complete member, not only to minimize the number of loose pieces such as bolts and nuts which can easily be mislaid, but also to avoid unnecessary expense for extra Workers and scaffolding on the undersde of the sheets.

One object of this invention, therefore, is to provide clips for metal sheets which clips when driven into place will tightly and reliably secure the sheets to underlying supporting members.

Another object is to provide simple and inexpensive sheet fasteners which require no nuts or bolts for clamping and may be readily applied by a single unskilled workman.

An additional object is to provide convenient means for punching holes in rooting sheets for the insertion of fasteners.

Still other and further purposes, objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the specilication and in the drawings and claims.

In the attached sheet of drawings:

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing the use of the clip to punch a hole in the sheet;

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing the manner of inserting the clip into the hole;

Fig. 3 is another sectional view showing the clip in the final anchored position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the clip; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the clip.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a corrugated metal sheet lying upon the top surface of the upper ange 2 of an I-beam joist 3 or other rolled flanged member extending transversely of the corrugations and having a depending web portion 3. The flanges of such members will usually, though not necessarily, have a slight amount of slope or taper on their inner surfaces as shown.

The clip for attaching the sheet is formed of a single piece of stiff wire preferably having a sharp point 4 at one end of a straight shank portion 5 at the opposite end of which the wire is bent rearwardly in substantially a V-shape so as to provide an upper spring arm 6, from which the wire is bent downwardly at a right angle in a short straight portion 7, then inwardly in a return bend at an obtuse angle generally toward the apex of the V to form the short inclined hook portion 8 crossing the shank portion 5, and terminating in a stub end portion 9 which is offset at substantially a right angle to the aforesaid return bend.

With the clip being held by hand in the position shown in Fig. l, upright in one of the depressions of the corrugated sheet 1 adjacent either side of the top ange 2, it may be struck a light blow with a hammer (not shown) to cause the pointed end 4 to punch a hole in the sheet. Fig. 6 shows the shank portion 5 as provided with an indentation 10, thereby forming an offset loop head portion which will render the clip somewhat easier to drive.

The clip is then turned over, as shown in Fig. 2, with the spring arm portion 6 becoming uppermost, and the stub portion 9 is inserted in the hole with the inclined clip portion 8 directed toward the flange 2. When the intersection of the spring arm portion 6 and the down wardly bent portion 7 of the clip is struck a sharp blow with a hammer, the inclined portion S will be pushed into tight engagement with the flange 2, and the clip will thereafter be held firmly in position by the upward pull of the spring arm portion 6 in compression against the shank portion 5, as in Fig. 3.

Although this invention has been shown and described hereinabove in considerable detail, it is not intended to have it narrowly limited thereby, but there may also be used all such modifications, substitutions or equivalents thereof as are embraced within the scope and spirit of the invention or as are pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A structural assembly comprising a support, a sheet on said support, and a clip securing the sheet to said support, said clip comprising a spring wire member overlying the sheet and the support, said member being bent back upon itself at one end to form a depending hook extending through a hole in the sheet and engaging the underside o-f said support, and being bent back upon itself at the other end to form an arm longitudinally engaging the sheet and resiliently pressing the sheet into contact with the support.

2. A structural assembly comprising, in combination, a support, a sheet on said support, and a clip securing the sheet to said support, said clip comprising a downwardly bent leg portion extending through a hole in the sheet, an inclined portion in engagement with the lower face of the support, an elongated shank portion engaging the top face of the sheet, and an upstanding spring arm portion intermediate the inclined portion and the shank portion urging the sheet tightly against the support.

3. A structural assembly comprising in combination, a support, a sheet on said support, and a clip securing the sheet to said support, said clip comprising a straight arm portion in lengthwise engagement with the sheet, a spring arm portion extending outwardly therefrom. a shorter straight portion bent inwardly at substantially a right angle from the spring portion and exending through a hole in the sheet, and an inclined portion engaging a lower face of the support and terminating in a short offset end portion.

4. A structural assembly comprising a support, a sheet on said support, and a clip securing the sheet to said support, said clip comprising an elongated shank overlying and longitudinally engaging the sheet, and a spring arm extending above said elongated shank, said spring arm being bent back upon itself at one end to form a depending hook extending through a hole in the sheet and engaging the underside of the support, thereby compressing the spring arm and resiliently pressing the sheet into contact with said support.

5. A clip comprising a continuous wire element bent upon itself in substantially V shape to f orrn an elongated 3 4 shank section and a diverging spring arm section, said References Cited in the file of this patent wire element being further bent frorn the latter section at UNITED STATES PATENTS approxlmately a rlght angle and w1th a return bend at an obtuse angle generally toward the apex of the V to 984,190 Camehl Feb' 14, 1911 form a hook portion crossing the shank section, and ter- 5 1,097,319 Henderson May 19, 1914 minating in an offset portion at substantially a right angle 1,242,609 Schumacher et al- Oct- 9, 1917 

